Full Country Name: United Republic of Tanzania

Area: 945,090 sq km (364,879 sq mi)

Population: 31,270,820

Capitals: Dodoma

People: 99% native African (over 100 tribes), 1% Asian, European and Arabic

Languages: Swahili, English, indigenous.

Religion: 40% Christian, 33% Muslim, 20% indigenous beliefs

Government: Republic (multi-party state)

Visas: Three month visas are easy to obtain on arrival at all the major borders and at the international airports at Dar es Salaam. All visitors require a visa except citizens of some Commonwealth countries (Canada and the UK excepted), Scandinavian countries, the Republic of Ireland, Rwanda and Sudan. For these nationalities, a free visitor's pass, valid for one to three months, can be picked up at the point of entry (you'll be asked how long you plan to stay - three months is no problem). You will need proof of yellow fever vaccination if traveling to Zanzibar.

Time: GMT / UTC plus three hours.

Climate:Tanzania' s widely varying geography accounts for its differing climatic conditions. The Coastal strip along the Indian Ocean and the offshore island of Pemba and Zanzibar have a hot, humid, tropical climate alleviated by sea breezers. The long rainy season is from around mid march to mid may, when it rains almost every day. The short rainy season is during November and December though it frequently in January too.

Currency: Tanzanian Shilling ( TSh )

Cities: Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's premier city. The busy central streets around the colourful Kariakoo Market and clock tower are a world away from the tree-lined boulevards of the government quarters to the north.Dar's National Museumis next to the Botanical Gardens in the city center. About 10km (6mi) from the city center, the Village Museum is also worth a look. It's a living breathing village of authentic dwellings from various parts of Tanzania. Traditional dances are performed here on the weekend. Oyster Bay, a beautiful (for now) stretch of tropical coastline, is the city's nearest beach. Zanzibar Ah Zanzibar- the world's oldest and sexiest Spice Girl. Trading under the name Spice Island, this paradise off Tanzania's east coast has lured travelers for centuries. Zanzibar's Stone Town is one of the most fascinating places on Tanzania's east coast. It's a chaotic, and often crumbling, labyrinthine cluster of winding streets lined with whitewashed coral-rag houses with magnificently carved (but fast vanishing) brass-studded doors. There are endless little shops, bazaars, mosques, courtyards an old fort, two former sultans' palaces, two huge cathedrals, faded colonial mansions, a disused Persian-style public bathhouse and reminders of a once thriving slave trade. Dotted around the island are historical sites such as the ruined Maruhhubi Palace, built in 1882 by Sultan Barghash to house his harem. To take it all in, a 'Spice Tour' is recommended. Plenty of guides are on offer for such tours, which include palace ruins, the Mangapwani Caves, and various spice and fruit plantations at the island's heart. There's also Jozani Forest, 24km (15mi) south-east of Zanzibar town, a sanctuary for the rare red colobus monkey and the Zanzibar duiker (small antelope). Mt Kilimanjaro National Park is one of Africa's most magnificent sights. Snowcapped and not yet extinct, at 5895m (19,335ft) it's the highest peak on the continent. The rainforest is home to animals including elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard and monkey. You may also stumble across herds of eland on the saddle between the summits of Mawenzi and Kibo. It's a traveler's dream to scale the summit. Serengeti National Park Serengeti, which sprawls across 14,763 sq km (5757 sq mi), is Tanzania's most famous game park. Here you can get a glimpse of what much of East Africa must have looked like in the days before the 'great White hunters'. The wildebeest has a starring role in the amazing annual migration. Serengeti is also famous for its lion, cheetah and giraffe populations. Don't forget to bring your binoculars. Ngorongoro Conservation Area The views from the 600m (1968ft) tall Ngorongoro Crater rim are spectacular but the real treasure lies on its 20km (12.4mi)-wide floor. It's been compared to Noah's Ark and the Garden of Eden. Noah might be a bit a disappointed by dwindling animal numbers these days, but he'd have no trouble finding lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra and reedbuck, as well as thousands of flamingo wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi, the soda lake on the floor of the crater. Pemba While most travelers do Zanzibar (Unguja), very few make the journey a little farther north to the laid-back island of Pemba, also part of the Zanzibar archipelago. It's not that there are no historic sites to visit, or a lack of good beaches, because there are plenty of these. No, the island is just a bit tricky because there's little public transport off the islands' main road. Jeepneys (jitney bus converted into a jeep) are on the increase however. Pemba's earliest ruins are those of Ras Mkumbu, on the peninsula west of Chake Chake, where the Shirazis settled about 1200 AD. To the east are the remains of a palace destroyed by the Portuguese in 1520. The island's other main attraction are the surrounding coral reefs, rated by many divers as the best in the world. There are flights from Zanzibar to Pemba every Wednesday, and the most reliable boat connections are between Zanzibar and Mkoani on the island's south-west end.
Restrictions:It's good idea to have a valid vaccination certificate for yellow fever before arriving in Tanzania.